Method for cleaning articles.



E. L. COUCH. 11511100 r011 CLEANING ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JMLQ. I915- Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W'tnesses:

E. L. COUCH.

METHOD FOR CLEANING ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 1915.

1,150,101 I Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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lllllnlllllllllllllllll 5 Q 1m N L .S\ N M Witnesses;

E. L. COUCH. ME'IZHOD FOR CLEANING ARTICLES. APPLICATION mzndms. m5.

Patent ed Aug. 17, 1915.

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fizventor F z'tnesses:

E. L. COUCH. METHOD FOR CLEANING ARTICLES.

APPLICATiON FILED IAN.9. I915- Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIBERT L. COUCH, OE HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO COUCH-DEAN CORPORA- TION, OF HARTFORD,

CONNECTICUT,

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

METHOD FOR CLEANING ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

' Application filed January 9, 1915. Serial No. 1,845.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, ELBERT L. CoUoH, a citizen of the United States, residing'at 564 New Britain avenue, in the town of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods for OleaningArticles, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a method of cleaning articles. The articles may be of various characters, for instance, metal, china or porcelain, these being three of many illustrations.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a method by which said articles can be effectually, thoroughly and rapidly cleaned.' The method involves as to one of its features the movement-of the. article or articles and the subjection of the same to electrolysis, by virtue of which rapidity in operation is insured. I prefer. that the electrolytic treatment occur during or simultaneously with the travel of the article or articles as in this manner the action is further hastened. I have found in practice that by my method I can completely removetarnish, stains and adhering foreign matter from silverware and other metals, which is a matter of considerable importance. I prefer that the articles be put upon a carrier which is of such kind as to cause movement bodily of the articles. It isconceivable of course, that such movement .might, be a gravitative one, but the best results are ob tained by actuating the carrier which may consist of a belt or drummerely two of several examples. The articlesupporting surface or portion of the carrier may beof tin, aluminum, a composition of metals or otherwise made electrolytically active, ex-

cellent results having been secured by utilizing tin for this purpose, although as will be inferred, the invention is not limited in this and other particulars. The article or articles constitute an electrode. The electrolyte consists of a suitable solution sprayed onto or otherwise suitably applied tothe articles. I will hereinafter mention one of several satisfactory electrolytes. I may assume that the carrier constitutes one electrode, and the article or articles to be cleaned, the other electrode of the cell, both electrodes being brought under the action of the electrolyte, which bridges them, so that when the three arethus associated the electrolytic action to which I have alluded occurs. In any event I have found in practice that by the method I attain in a highly satisfactory manner the results at which I aim, the silverware and metal after a treat- ,m'ent being bright and fresh. Chinaware and porcelain when subjected to the method are also cleaned equally as well as metal ware, although I am not prepared to positively state that the cleaning action with respect to the former is an electrolytic one, but I am inclined to believe that it is and that in the case of all the articles the chemi cal or chemicals in the electrolyte of whatever kind the same may be, appreciably aids in the cleaning action.

As will beconcluded apparatusfor carrying IpyyinIVentmn into effect may radically and, decidedly'kvary. I have already referred to the fact that the articles are mounted upon a carrier which is of such type as ,to cause movement of the articles. In Letters Patent No. 1,068,568 granted to me July 29,

'1913 and to which reference may be had is Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of said apparatus with a portion of the case removed. Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections on the lines 2'2 and 33 respectively of Fig. 1. Fig. I is a sectional elevation of manifold or spray pipes and a cooperating supply pipe. Fig. 5. is a perspective view of a supporting member. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a vat and certain adjunctive elements. Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation, and, Fig. 9 is a sectional side view of portions of carrying mechanism. F ig.. 10 is a detail view'of driving members.-

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The different parts of the apparatus may be sustained upon any desirable frame; that denoted in a general way by 2 answers satisfactorily in this connection. There is provided a carrier which. as Will be inferred,

may be of any suitable nature, that shown by 3 meeting the necessary conditions. Sald carrier or endless belt 3 is passed around suitably positioned pulleys as 4 in such manner that the carrier is virtually rectangular. In the construction shown the upper run is horizontal, means being provided such as the supporting members 3' to uphold said upper run, which in the present case sustains the article or articles to be cleaned. The arrow in Fig. l placed just above said upper run shows the direction of travel thereof and also of the articles sustained thereby. The articles while in transit are subjected to one or more cleaning actions. If there be only one, this is electrolytic, but if there be several of such operations, one as will be gathered is electrolytic in nature. The carrier or that part thereof which directly sustains the articles may be of tin, aluminum, composite construction or otherwise made electrolytically active to constitute an electrode. I I

For operating the belt 3 any desirable means may be provided, for example the motor 5, the belt in the organization represented being given practically a continuous movement, although as will be obvious this is not always essential. As represented (Fig. 2) the shaft of the motor 5 is connected by gearing denoted in a general way by 5 with theshaft 6, extending longitudinallyof the machine. The shaft 6 has rigid therewith the worm 6 meshing with the worm gear 7 on the shaft 7 extending trans-- versely of 'the belt 3 nearthe lower run thereof. This shaft 7 has fastened to it a suitable driver for the belt, the driver as shown consisting of the sprocket wheel 8,

the teeth of which are adapted -,to mesh with or engage the belt which is of practically sprocket form. It will, therefore, be clear that when the motor 5 is in action, the belt 3 through the intermediate described parts will be actuated. Owing to the sprocket construction of the belt 3 the latter is foraminous to provide for the passage therethrough of liquid or liquids that may be used during the method. Pumps as wil hereinafter appear receive their motion from the shaft 32.

Mounted within the frame 2 and between the runs of the belt 3 is a'tank 10 divided into three compartments 12, 13 and 14, the pipes 15, 16 and 17 being connected with the respective compartments and extending upwardly therefrom, each of said pipes being intersected by a pump 18 driven from the shaft 32. It, therefore, follows that when the motor 5 is in action the three pumps 18 through the intermediate mechanism will be simultaneously operated to pump liquid from the several compartments 12', 13 and 14 and to elevate the same.

Mounted upon the framing of the machine is the casing 19 open at the front and .as in the showin rear, the upper run of the belt 3 entering one opening of the casing and leaving at the other. As shown the article or articles to be cleaned are placed upon the carrier 3 at the left in Fig. 1 and are discharged at the right in said view onto the tray 4 or otherwise.

Connected with the pipes 15, 16 and 17 are the manifolds or spray pipes 23, 24 and 25 arranged below and in proximity to the upper run of the belt 3, the several manifolds being adapted tospray liquid onto the articles carried by the belt 3 which liquid reaches said articles through the openings of the belt. Connected with said pipes 15, 16 and 17 are manifolds or spray pipes 26, 27 and 28 which arelocated above the upper run of the carrier or belt 3 and which spray or direct liquid downward on articles on said run. The manifolds as will be evident are arranged in cooperating sets or pairs, the upper member of each pair being substantially in vertical alinement with the lower member thereof, and there is an advantage for this as will hereinafter be set forth. In Fig. 4 I have shown a detail of a pipe which may be assumed to be the pipe 15 and of-the cooperating manifolds 23 and 26 connected therewith. It will be noted that the perforations of the lower manifold 23 are of smaller size than those in the upper manifold 26. By this I can get force or impact in the jets or streams from the lower manifold sufficient to properly clean the article or articles on the carrier. As a matter of fact the impact is considerable and might and would under some circumstances displace articles from the carrier. This, however,'is resisted by the jets or streams from the upper manifold, the perforations in which are large enough or of greater size than those in the lower manifold to insure sufficient volume of liquid falling upon the articles to prevent such upward displacement by the impact of the lower jets. The advantage in question arises whether the action is an electrolytic one or merely a spraying one with cleaning water.

It will be understood that I have described but one lower and one upper manifold. This description applies to the others folds are alike an the lower manifolds are similar in construction.

The first compartment 12 contains what is known as silverease and water, while the compartment 13 contains silverease or something else that will serve as an elec trolyte. In passing I might state that silverease is covered in .United States Patent 674,254 of May 14, 1901 to Arthur. It mightbe noted also that silverease in solution presents one ofseveral electrolytes'that I can advantageously utilize. It is not always essential that both compartments 12 made the upper maniand 13 should contain suchan electrolyte, but it is desirable that one of them should and this the compartment 13. The last compartment 14 may contain merely rinsing water.

It willbe assumed that the motor 5 has been started and that thecompartments 12, 13 and 14 are filled with the necessary liquid or liquids. In such event the carrier is caused to move and the pumps 18 to operate. These pumps withdraw liquid from the compartments 12, 13 and 14 and supply the same by way of the pipes 15, 16 and 17 to the three lower manifolds 23, 24 and 25 and the three upper manifolds 26, 27 and 28, the consequence being that if the articles are on the upper run of the carrier, such articles are sprayed above and below. There may be arranged below the upper run of the belt 3 the screen or strainer 30 of a machine sufiicient' to prevent the passage of coarse substances therethrough. I merely mention this fact, because the construction.

is shown in the drawings.

I have but briefly described the apparatus which, as will be obvious, is merely but one of many kinds suitable for practising my method. This apparatus-is not exactly like that shown in the prior Letters Patent granted to me but is generally speaking like it.

I have mentioned the fact that the carrier whether it be stationary or movable has its article supporting portion of electrolytically active material, and I have mentioned several substances, all of which may fill the necessity in this particular. I may have the manifolds and the liquid supply pipes 15, 16 and 17 and even the compartments 12, 13

and 14 of electrolytically active material ora composition of the same.

It will be clear that the method involves as to one of its features the movement of an article to be cleaned and the'subjection of such article to an electrolytic cleaning action. I have referred to the fact that the article itself may be one element of the electrolytic cell. Another equally important point whether the articles are movable or stationary is their interposition into an electrolytic circuit, the circuit being maintained for instance by a pump drawing liquid from the stream of electrolyte whether in theform of a circuit or not, is free, by which 1 mean that there is nothing that affects the maximum action ofthe stream a ainst the article to be cleaned, which won d be the case were the stream directed against the article while'the article were submerged in a body of liquid through which body the stream is projected. Both the carrier for in motion preferably while the stream of the electrolyte is being applied to said articles. The stream of electrolyte as a matter of fact is directed against the articles while they are both practically in the atmosphere which is one way of getting the free action to which I have referred.

What I claim is:

1. A method of cleaning a metal article comprising positioning the article in the nature of an electrode, upon'an electrode, moving both electrodes and in directing an electrolyte in the form of a free stream against both electrodes while they are in motion.

2. A method of cleaning a metal article in the nature of' an electrode comprising the positioning of said article upon an electrode, moving the two electrodes, and in directing against the two electrodes while they are in motion and in the atmosphere an electrolytic stream.

3. A method of cleaning an article in the nature of an electrode, comprising the positioning of the article upon an electrode and in applying an electrolyte in a free stream to the article and electrode.

1. A method of cleaning an article comprising the maintenance of an electrolyte in free circuit form and positioning an electrode and an article in the nature of an electrode, in the electrolytic circuit.-

5. A method of cleaning an article which comprises the positioning of an article in the nature of an electrode upon an electrode, and in directing opposite free streams of an electrolyte simultaneously against said articlefrom different directions to couple the two articles.

the articles and the articles themselves are v 6. A method of cleaning an article which electrolytically associating said article with an electrode and in electrolytically coupling the two by a free stream directed thereagainst.

8. A method of cleaning an article in the nature of an electrode which consists in electrolytically associating said article with an electrode, causing the article to move and in electrolytically coupling the same by a free electrolytic stream directed against 10 them both.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBERT L. COUCH.

Witnesses:

LESTER D. TROWBRIDGE, G. CLARENCE WOOLLEY. 

